Clip or support for horticultural and other labels



Dec. 6, 1927.

'H.-T. WEEKS CLIP 0R SUPPOIiT FOR HORTICUL'I'URAL AND OTHER LABELS Filed April 19, 1926 H. T. WEEKS CLIP OR SUPPORT FOR HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER LABELS Dec. 6,1927.

Filed April 19. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 6, 1927. 1,651,652

H. T. WEEKS CLIP 0R SUPPORT FOR HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER LABELS Filed April 19. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

suites stares estes:

HERB RT THOMAS wnnks, or Trimmin s wants, ENGLAND.

' CLIP 01a snrroa'r' non nosrrcnrirumin annotrnnanasnts.

Application filed April 19, 1926, Serial No. 1l33,002', and in Great Britain May 28, 19251 'This invention relates to a new or im-.

proved clip or support for horticultural and other labels, such clip or support being of the type consisting of wire, bent at one end to form a clip, the other end forming a shank or support, which is adapted to be inserted in the ground or made in the form of a hook or clip for attachment to the branch of a tree or other object.

According to this invention, the clip or support for horticultural and other labels comprises a piece of wire bent at or near the middle to form two substantially parallel shank-members, the end of which is adapted to serve as a stake, clipor hook, and the wire near each end is formed with a series of U-bends, bent into the shape of an elongated coil or coils forming clips to engage the label. If the support is to be inserted in the ground, it is preferably bent more or less acutely so as to form a pointed stake which may be readily forced into the soil. The shank-members are preferably bent outwardly and inwardly near the clips to sepa-' rate the coils and prevent the label from slipping down on one side or the other as they are liable to do if the clips are too close together. The holder is also made inore ri id by connecting two shank members near the clips by a piece of sheet metal or the like. And in order that the inventionmay be readily understood, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a length of wire showing the first bend in the manufae ture of a support for a label constructed ac cording to this invention. I v

Figure 2 is a similar .view showing the wire bent to form part of two clips, and

Figures 3 and 4 are elevations showing diiferent stages in the manufacture of a modification of label support.

Figure 5 is a. front perspective view of the are then relativel of-the reinforcing blank partly folded and enclosing the shankparts.

Figure 12 is a front elevation of another modification.

F igure-13. is a front elevation of yet another modification, and

Figure. 14 is a side view thereof' In carryingthe invention into effect and according to the construction shown in Figures 1 andQ, a length of straight wire is bent or returned at each end inwards at 64 towards each other so that the bent over piece or hook at each 'end is substantially parallel to the straight wire. These bent over or returned ends are again bent towards each other as shown in Figure 2 at b so as to produce an elongated oval of wire nearly complete except that it is open where the wire-terminates near the first bend. Or, if desired, the first bends may be made at b and the, second bends at a, The straight and intermediate portion of the-wire is then bent acutely at about the middle of its length at c to form a blunt pointed shank cl as shown in Figure 5 and the incomplete ovals or loops y close together and in the same plane. i

As shown in Figures 3' and 4, the blank or wire, formed at each end with the incom plete ovals or elongated loops f g, isbent outwards at b (Figure at an obtuse angle and again bent a short distance away fron'i relatively close together asaforesaid and about one inch apart. Any substantially stiff label c inay be used with clips or supports of this construction and is readily passed, between the upstanding portion and the shank d at each side of thevshank as shown in Figure 3, there being sufficient elasticity in the wire or the label to permit this to take place, orbetween one loop member and theupstanding portion 7. If desired, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, two sides of the wire label support may be connected by a quadrant-shaped clip 70 made of sheet metal having lugs Z each of which is bent 1 round a wire member. In this example, the label 6 (Figure 5) is clipped in front by the parts d and g and behind by the upstanding parts Instead of being straight, the members (Z (Z may be bent to form a hook, loop or clip.

Or, as shown in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 i and to avoid using unduly thick wire to imangular piece of metal 70' (Figure 10) of thin sheet zinc or other suitable material, the lateral edges of which are bent or wrapped round the shank parts cl as shown in Figure 11, after-which the partly folded and partly unfolded parts at each lower corner are bent, one over the other, along the dotted lines 70 and 76 (Figure 11) thus forming a stiff and strong point as shown in Figure 7'.

. As shown in Figure 12, the parts 9' and f are made rather longer than shown, for example in Figures'i), 6 and 7, so that the bends d. The label a is introduced, for example, as shown on the right hand side of the Fig are 12, by passing it behind the part d and in front of the parts f and 9 while the bends a are behind tl eintermediate parts (Z and then, as shownon the left hand side 'what longer than in the other constructions of the figure, the bends a are pushed in front of the parts d thus increasing the pressure on the label 6 and improvingthe locking quality of the support.

The labels may be made of non-corrodible metal such as zinc or aluminium alloy or they may be made of wood, celluloid or other appropriate material.

r In all the foregoing constructions and particularly where a thin and more or less flexible or elastic label is inserted in the support as shown in Figures?) or 12, for eXamplc the label is practically secured against accidental displacement inwardly, outwardly, upwardly and downwardly but if it be desired to/positively look as well as clip the label, the construction may be modified as shown in Figures 13 and 14. In this case, each upstanding member f is made someas to enable it to be bent over the top of the bend Z). This may be done in the course of manufacture and in that case the labels are insertedas previously described. Or, as

shown in dotted lines in Figure 13, thesupportis solid with tho upstanding parts 7;

a pass down below the intermediate parts I claim 1. A wire clip for holding horticultural. and other labels comprising a piece of wire, bent to form a shank consisting of two sub stantially parallel shank-m-mbers, each shank member bent outwardly to form diverging portions and at a short interval inwardly to form parallel members and bent at its free end to form a plurality of oppositely disposed elongated loops constituting a clip having parallel constituent parts, one loop extending across its adjacent diverging portion of the shank and a piece of sheet metal having a lateral extension on each side bent round a diverging portion of a shank member in order to secure together the said shank-members.

2. A wire clip, for holding horticultura and other labels, comprising a piece of wire, bent to form a shank consisting oftwosubstantially parallel shank-members, each shank-member bent outwardly to form 'diverging portions, at a short interval bent inwardly to form parallel members and bent inwardly at its free end to form a plurality of oppositely elongated loops constituting a clip having substantially parallel constituent parts, one loop extending across its ad jacent diverging portion of the shank, and means for rigidly connecting the shank portions.

3. A wire clip for holding horiticultural and other labels comprising a piece of. wire, bent to form a shank consisting of two substantially parallel shank-members, each shank-member bent outwardly at an obtuse angle to form diverging portions, at a short interval bent inwardly to form parallel members and bent at its free endto form a plurality of oppositely disposed elongated parallel constituent parts,one loop extending across its adjacent diverging portion of the shank, and a piece of sheet metal bent on each side round a shank member in order to secure the said shank members rigidly together. 1

4. A wire clip, for holding horticultural and other labels comprising a piece of wire bent to form a shank consisting'of two sub stantially parallel shank-members, each shank-member bent outwardly at an obtuse angle to form diverging portions, bent iuwardly to form parallel members and bent at its free end to form a plurality of oppositely disposed elongated loops, constitutinu a clip havingparallelconstitutent parts, and a piece of sheet metal having a lateral extension on each side bent roundv a diverging portion of a shank member in order to secure together the said shank-members 

